


tage, die hinter uns liegen

by ascience



Category: Football RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Footy Ficathon, German National Team, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:25:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3116642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ascience/pseuds/ascience
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is how their story starts and this is how their story ends.</p><p>(For <a href="http://thesilverwitch.livejournal.com/33981.html?thread=823997#t823997">this</a>/<a href="http://thesilverwitch.livejournal.com/33981.html?thread=870333#t870333">this</a> prompt.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	tage, die hinter uns liegen

**Author's Note:**

> Please listen to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugFxxkcz2ow) while you read.

2002 is the _Almost_ but _Not_ and Michael doesn’t worry. Three goals are three goals, even in the grand scheme of things.

The weight on his shoulders isn’t there yet, neither is the pressure on his upper arm and. Neither is Philipp.

\--

It’s 2006 and it’s not enough.

Michael has high hopes which he sings along to his high C and a dream that he shares with Germany, with his team, with Philipp.

Only retrospect renders the latter important and only retrospect grimaces in the mirror of irony when Philipp injures himself and still scores the first goal of the tournament.  
Michael hugs Fips, kisses his forehead later and hindsight spits in his face for it.

Germany lives a summer night’s dream and it passes like that: deliriously, achingly and brazen.

They still celebrate like champions, write a story to tell their children and maybe this very bronze bears the Golden Generation.

It’s 2006 and in the end, home is not the place where you always win, it’s the place where they don’t mind you losing.

\--

In 2010 Micha’s ligament tears and everything else comes crashing down with it. It’s hard but what makes it harder is how well Fips – how well Philipp fills a role that isn’t supposed to be shaped for him.

Michael silently wishes his armband was too loose for someone that short but he sees Philipp play and talk and wonders whatever happened to the nineteen centrimetres that used to separate them.

The third place weighs down smaller shoulders this time around but it’s still Michael who has trouble standing tall.

I won’t let go voluntarily, Philipp says and I like being captain, Philipp says and I want the responsibility, Philipp says and I have everything under control, Philipp says and _I don’t think about you anymore at all._

When asked about Michael’s return directly, Philipp emphasizes diplomatically that it’s not his place to say _yes_ or _no_ but for the first time, Micha wishes he would. Say yes or no, anything.

It tears something entirely different inside of Michael and he decides he can’t let the three stars burn across his heart anymore. It’s hard to love... a team if it doesn’t love you back.

\--

2014 is the _Finally_ and the _At Last_ and it hurts so good.

 _Ten years for this shit_ , Lukas says as Basti grins with sweat, blood and tears on his face and Philipp knows it’s more than just time they all spent on this.

A victory would be the climax of Philipp’s career, Michael writes in his column earlier and Philipp believes it, after every single line Micha put down about _left_ or _right_ or _defence_ or _midfield_ or _how long until you get what I fucking let you leave me for._

Philipp lifts the trophy in Brazil and then again in Germany and it’s not a weight, it’s a pair of wings, the start of something new just as much as a decade-long march coming to a euphoric close right where he stood next to Micha years before under the Brandenburg Gate.

Michael never wore the fourth star on his jersey and, as he resigns proudly with the faint residue of a C behind his name, Philipp will never either.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [twitter](https://twitter.com/anexactscience).
> 
> EDIT (16.01.15): As usual, [canon](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/12/1421077769592_lc_galleryImage_ZURICH_SWITZERLAND_JANUAR.JPG) [ruins](http://www.dfb.de/fileadmin/_processed_/csm_102006-Spiel_der_Legenden_2016_6a3c414e04.jpg) all my fics.


End file.
